About Sweetmama Editor
Nadine Silverthorne’s love of journaling began in Grade One with the entry, “I am the greatest dancer!” Two babies (and countless diaper changes) later, she has found her home away from home as editor of SweetMama. Don’t miss her humorous bi-weekly accounts of the joys and pains of working while raising them fabulous.
Raising a Tech-Savvy Family
silver spoons: technology and kids canada
(Mar.14.11)
Like it or not, our kids are growing up with gadgets. We hear anecdotal stories of toddlers' addictions to iPhones and "hi-Pads." We have preschoolers who beg to watch princess videos on YouTube and school-agers who kick our butts on the Wii.
Luddites and grandparents can roll their eyes all they like. Research shows that interactive gaming is better for kids than sedentary TV watching, firing up parts of the brain that the regular tube does not (sorry Dora). Our unscientific poll says that 74% of you allow some form of gaming in your homes. You limit the time spent on gaming somewhat (32% say about an hour is sufficient), but your kids are definitely playing.
I am a fan of modern technology (did I mention my BlackBerry addiction?). It allows me to help my kids understand a confusing and wonderful world. Together we can explore Mars via Google Earth. I can take the fear out of a filling at the dentist or hearing about a tornado on the news. I show them a Justin Bieber video (true story) so that they'll know what everyone at school is talking about.
With March Breaks happening across the country (and the cries for the DS growing louder in my own house), I thought you might enjoy some other articles we've done to help you decide what's right for you, as your family moves forward in a technological world.
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Should You Limit Tech Time?
As we're suddenly faced with requests for DS-es and Wiis and iPods, we wondered how to put some rules around these gadgets. So we asked an expert (and were surprised by his liberal answer). But we also polled the moms in this office to find out what they do at home. It always makes us feel better to get a sense of what other moms are doing. More>>
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Video Games to Play Over March Break
With my own six-year-old begging to play games over this break, we thought we'd test out two of the newer ones (in this case Super Mario Sports Mix for the Wii and Pokemon Black and White Versions for the DS) to see how they ranked for age appropriate content. See how they fared. More>>
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10 Techie Finds for the Modern Family
From iPad holsters that turn them into automotive cinemas, to baby monitors and gadgets to help you surf and share files throughout your home, we've sourced 10 amazing finds for the burgeoning tech family. More>>
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Choosing a Game System
If you're considering the purchase of one of the three major game systems, I spent a Saturday night comparing them to help make your decision easier. My preference is the Nintendo Wii, based on the age of my kids and my own gaming style, but have a look as the Xbox Kinect and PlayStation Move have an edge for reasons that may suit your family better. More>>
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Best Unconventional Use of a Wii Fit
Has the speed of modern life got you needing a laugh? Distracted Daddy uses his Wii Fit board in a rather amusing way. More>>
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Take That Daylight Savings Time!
Perhaps our favourite modern gadget is this cool clock that teaches toddlers and preschoolers when it's OK to wake Mama and Papa. (Current success rate? 50/50, but we'll take it!) More>>
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I'd love to hear how you're dealing with the growing technology in your house. Let me know in the comments below.